Steakhouse Black Bread

"This is a steakhouse bread recipe that I obtained many years ago from a friend. It makes a very dense and flavorful bread. If you like, brush the rolls or bread with beaten egg, then sprinkle some uncooked oatmeal on top before baking. Enjoy!"

Most Helpful Positive Review

Feb 08, 2010

This was really good. I did not use a bread machine but used all the same ingredients called for. I first dissolved my yeast in warm coffee. I then added my brown sugar and let it set a few minutes to get frothy. Next, I added the salt, molasses and oil. I stirred this well and then added in the cocoa powder. One cup at a time, I added the whole wheat flour, rye flour, and 1 cup bread flour. I then kneaded in the last cup just until the bread was smooth and elastic(it did not take the full last cup). This has a great texture and was super easy to make. It made two medium sized loaves.

Most Helpful Critical Review

Amazing bread. It has a good rich flavor, a wonderful chewy texture, a looked great. It is what I had hoped it would be. This is a keeper recipe.
I do not use a bread machine, but use a kitchenaid mixer with the dough hook. I did not have any oil but olive on hand, so I used 1/4 c of butter. I heated all the liquid ingredients including the butter to 140 degrees(my house is cold right now, including the metal mixing bowl). I put one package of the rapid rise yeast in with the brown sugar, king arthur's w.w. flour, rye flour, salt, mixed it up with the dough hook, and then poured in the liquid. Mixed it well and grdually added the remaining bread flour. I kneaded the dough with the mixer. I let the dough rest while I cleaned up maybe ten minutes. I then pulled the dough off the dough hook and shaped it into a ball, put it in a greased aluminum pie pan and let it rise to double in bulk. I brushed it with egg and put the oatmeal on top. Baked it for 35 minutes. It was wonderful.

This is a very flavorful black bread and well-worth making again and again. I do recommend increasing the brown sugar from 2 Tbsps to 4 Tbsps - it does not seem to add sweetness to the bread, but it does increase the fullness of flavor.

This has become a go to recipe for black bread and bread bowls. I use 1 1/2 T Cocoa powder and regular strength coffee. One batch make 4 small bread bowls which are great for chowders. These are also good for hot dips. Thanks for a keeper!

This is a wonderful recipe. It was so easy, my whole family loved it. You should probably be aware of whether or not you like this kind of dark bread before you try to make it however. That way you could avoid feeding picky children something they would say tastes like dogfood. My husband gave it five stars as well, and it was the first recipe of many that I have tried from this site that I have bothered to review. Thanks again for the recipe.

Made a very good bread, although not *exactly* like my favorite steak house. I am giving it four stars only because by following the recipe as written, the dough came out of my bread machine very sticky and I had to knead in another 1/2 C of flour by hand to make it workable. I think this affected the flavor and texture of the bread somewhat. I plan to make another batch very soon and I think I will just let it bake in the bread machine (as it doesn't care whether or not the dough's sticky. ;) Perhaps without so much extra flour and handling, the flavor/texture will be closer to what I was hoping for. All in all a great recipe, though, thanks very much for posting it.

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.